If Christ has set us free, why do we keep on picking up those chains

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A Question of Calling

I’m going to start this blog with a confession: I don’t believe that God ever called me to blogging.

Sure, it’s something that he has used to help me to grow, and (hopefully) a few other people along the way. But I can’t honesty say that it was something that he told me to do. I guess that it was something that I stumbled into at a time when I needed a creative outlet, and two and a half years, and two blogs later, I just haven’t given up yet!

Why is it then, that in most other areas of my life, I am unwilling to take a risk without being one hundred percent certain that it is what God wants me to do.

I don’t know about you but I can spend hours and hours going around in circles, trying to work out what God wants me to do in the future. Questions like: Does God want me to stay here, or move there? What does he really want me to do? Should I take that risk, play over and over.

So we just sit back and wait. Before we know it, years of our life have gone by, without us ever really doing anything.

We could spend our entire lives like this. Sick with worry about making the right decision, full of paranoia about the consequences of making the wrong one. Or, we could just do what God asks of us: seek Him, and his kingdom.

I know which seems like the best option to me.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter where we live, or what we do, as long as we are earnestly seeking God and his kingdom.

When we earnestly seeking God, we can’t go far wrong, because he will make our paths straight. When we try work out things on our own, we are lost in the dark without the map: The further we wander the more lost we become.

For people like me this way of living seems so counter-intuitive. We like to have a good idea of what the future will hold. We like to know that what we are doing is adding to the bigger picture of our lives. It feels impossible to let go of this way of thinking, and instead just seek God.

This doesn’t mean we should just lock ourselves away in our rooms with a devotional and some worship music. Seeking God means that we seek his kingdom. Actively. That we make opportunities for this to happen.

I guess what I am saying is, if you want to do something big and scary for God (say move to another country to serve him) don’t sit around waiting for him to confirm it to you with a burning bush or something. If it is going to bring him glory, step out and do it. If the door slams in your face, it will be an opportunity to learn; if it doesn’t, it could be your greatest opportunity to bless others yet.

If we are seeking God first, he will not let us down.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

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23 thoughts on “A Question of Calling”

Oh my goodness! This is exactly what I’ve struggled with my whole life. “What did God call me to do?” It can be a paralyzing fear of failure because I want to, need to know what I’m supposed to do with my life. The truth is, I have a general idea of what I’m good at so I’ve decided I just have to take steps of faith each and every day. I seek him first and I believe he will close the doors that I’m not supposed to enter.

I’m so pleased I’m not the only one who struggles with this. It’s always a fear when writing a new post, that no one is going to relate! I think the advice about just taking it one step at a time is great.

I never really thought of calling as something for everybody. I thought that only some were called, the rest just get to make things up as they go along, doing the best they can with what they have to work with. Then again, God’s kept me in the waiting room so long that it feels that I’d never be called – or that I missed it a long time ago and nobody told me that there’s someone waiting for me on the other side of the door waiting for me.

I will be praying for clarity for you, and that God will guide your steps. It’s never too late! I was reading the biography of Corrie ten boom, who is such an inspiration, and lived a real adventure, but that didn’t begin until into her fifties!

Yes it’s scary, but I believe there is nothing like seeking His kingdom and then getting a sense of something unrolling or being revealed and going with the flow and see where it takes you.
A great word thanks Alice.

I sometimes struggle with this. Then I remember Augustine’s admonitions to “love God with all your might and do what you will”. He gave me gifts. He will show up as I step out in faith and develop them.

Thank you, Alice, for this encouragement! I especially appreciated your line “it doesn’t really matter where you live”. That is so true—bloom where you are planted, don’t long for another person’s life, jump in and love on the neighbor right in front of you!

This is PERFECT for me right now! I struggle with staying in my comfy bubble where everything is safe…but that’s not living. I have to remember that God works all things out for my good. I can trust Him​!